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Access to the details of 1 billion entries of the Aadhaar database available for only 500 rupees

In January 2018, journalists found that, for 500 rupees (around $7USD), they were able to buy on WhatsApp access to a gateway that allowed them to access the personal details connected to any of the entries on the Aadhaar database - by entering any Aadhaar number, they could see details like the name, address, phone number, and photograph of the individual associated with that Aadhaar number. They were also able to purcahse software to enable the printing of Aadhaar cards more than 100,000 people are suspected to have bought access to this databse - many of them village-level entrepreneurs who had been prevented by a change in the law from legally accessing the Aadhaar database. However, access to the personal data of over 1 billion Indians also presents an opportunity for identity theft and fraud.